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Sunday, 5 December 2010

Our first TREC competition

Today we loaded up Gandalf and Chester and headed off to do our first ever TREC competition. We did the "Parcours d'Orientation" which is basically orienteering on horseback. Hollie and Aliénor came with us to ride ponies from the riding school and our friend Jo with her lovely youngster Socianda made up the "English" team.

The boys travelled really well, I've never actually taken Gandalf anywhere in a trailer, but he was great.

We tacked them up and headed off to get our maps, then off we went.

It was all going really well til we got to an open field, when the girls' ponies decided they wanted to eat and resisted all attempts to get their heads off the floor. When I went to help, Hollie's pony kicked poor Gandalf!! So I got off and read it the riot act, got the pair of them on lead reins, I had one and Tanya had the other and off we went.

Sadly by this time both girls were thoroughly frightened by the ponies' behaviour, so at the first checkpoint they opted to get off and go back with Jo's husband in the car......

The checkpoints were great, lots of food, coffee, wine.....

We rode through some gorgeous countryside.....

and met the little kids on Shetlands doing the mini trec.....

Gandalf was very taken with the Shetlands and wanted to stop and say hello to them.....
When we got back, the boys went into a stable to munch some hay...

...although Chester wasn't too keen on the neighbours trying to steal his food!

We had a nice meal too whilst the horses munched hay. And we finished second out of the club (ie novice) section! A very good day........